Welcome to upside

While there’s no question delivering brown boxes is a huge part of what we do, UPS also transports many items that are not so run of the mill. Even compared to 2011, when we transported a polar bear from Alaska to Kentucky, this year has been full of exciting shipments and logistical triumphs.

Intrigued? Here are just five examples of some of the most offbeat and extraordinary things we moved in 2012:

UPS has officially moved magic, in the form of costumes, props, memorabilia, and more from your favorite Disney flicks. Thanks to UPS Freight shipping, the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean is just one of hundreds of Disney gems now on display at The Ronald Reagan Library & Museum.

Flu Vaccines to Laos

Temperature Sensitive Healthcare Solutions from UPS allowed us to move hundreds of thousands of flu vaccine doses that Walgreens kindly donated to Laos. The medicine needed to go from the United States to Asia while remaining 2°C to 8°C throughout the trip—challenging, yes, but certainly not impossible.

Facial Reconstructions

When the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration had to move delicate facial reconstructions from the LSU Faces Lab to the Navy Memorial Foundation in Washington, DC, UPS stepped up to the plate.

A Prosthetic Hand—Expedited

U.S. Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage lost both his legs and one hand while serving in Iraq, but that didn’t stop him from swimming with Navy SEALs. Unfortunately, he damaged his prosthetic hand en route to Hawaii for the project. UPS delivered his new hand in time for the swim.